To mark the observance of the 16-day global campaign to end violence against women, the Zonta Club of Cebu II, the Philippines, released an advocacy anthem called Women Unite: The Time is Ours on Spotify and YouTube.
The club commissioned and owned the anthem. It aims to bring women together and declare that the time is up for the system of violence, for the stigma and silence, for the cycle of apathy and abuse.
The song is composed by multi-awarded, Cebu-based songwriter, Jude Gitamondoc, musically arranged by Cebuano Tony Alfonso with vocals by stage actress Ivy Gallur.
Public display on the Town Green hung by the Zonta Club of Port Macquarie Inc, Australia, at Port Macquarie helped raise awareness and funds for the local women’s refuge for Christmas.
For this year’s 16 Days of Activism, the Ilocos Norte National High School Z Club, the Philippines, encouraged their classmates to imagine a world where women’s rights are recognized as human rights and that women’s capabilities are acknowledged in various fields by writing an open letter. In the open letters, the students shared their experiences to empower their peers and others worldwide to reach that goal.
With the theme of Transitions, Changes and New Opportunities, the club calls for people to unite and stand as leaders of change towards their goal of achieving world peace and progress.
The Zonta Club of Montevideo, Uruguay, says NO in the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign on social media. The club publishes a poster each day on Facebook and shares on WhatsApp and Instagram with friends and associates to raise awareness about the violence that affects women and girls.
As a part of its Zonta Says NO campaign, the Zonta Club of Portland, USA, turned Portland, Oregon, orange to spread awareness on gender-based violence during the 16 Days of Activism.
On 20 November, the Zonta Club of Cheyenne, USA, and members of the community marched from the capitol to the Laramie County Library, where it set up a display of the Silent Witness silhouettes of local women killed by domestic violence.
The display will be available for viewing for about two weeks during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. Members of the community are encouraged to visit the representations of victims of domestic violence and also review information about missing and/or murdered indigenous women.
2021 marks the 30th year of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign to raise awareness about violence against women. Following the Silent Witness March, the participants heard the personal story of Mary Billiter, a survivor of domestic violence – a story full of gut-wrenching violence and awe-inspiring strength to bring her to a better place.
Worried by the numbers of acts of violence against women, members of the Zonta Club of Brussel Zavel, Belgium, extended their actions in the framework of the club’s Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. The club initiated a poster campaign, intensified lobbying for Orange your City and connected with key players, such as UN Women and the Brussels City Council.
Régine Claeys, club president, spread the message fervently, stating, “The time is now, break the silence! Remaining silent merely encourages violence. We must inform victims and guarantee that help and support is available.”
Zonta Says NO posters were distributed among all members and offered to many local businesses in and around Brussels.
Members’ lobbying efforts also paid off. The Belgian Institute for Equal Opportunities and UN Women contributed data and information for their press release.
“Violence against women has reached troubling heights against which we need to mobilize in a joint effort,” Brussels Mayor Philippe said in a statement. “It has been a bitter pill to swallow, hearing so many testimonies from women who have been confronted with violence. However, as these horrific acts of violence are ever more openly discussed, we are moving in the right direction, even though there is still a long way to go.”
To launch the campaign on 25 November, International Day of Eliminating Violence Against Women, Lydia Mutyebele Ngoi, Alderwoman of Housing, Public Patrimony and Equal Opportunities, invited the club’s members to the City Hall in Brussels. She praised their efforts in drawing attention to the issue of violence against women and encouraged them to continue their work.
Her warm welcome and genuine interest helped them realize that it is essential to get out of our comfort zones, to meet with others who inspire us, and to take concrete action. This is how we can create added value to our society.
After the launch, members embarked on a tour around the city, admiring the many buildings that joined their efforts to orange the city: City Hall, Grand Place, Opera De Munt, P&V tower, ING headquarters, Belfius tower, Koninginnengalerij, Berlaymont, House of Europe, Central Station, and the walking bridge across Rue Belliard.
The Zonta Club of Concord, USA, painted the town orange as part of its Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.
All the stores and businesses on Main Street were approached and asked to display Zonta Says NO decals on their doors on front windows. Most said Yes about No. The Hotel Concord’s “eyebrow” became orange.
The club also donated US$500 to New Hampshire’s primary advocacy against domestic violence organization—NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence—and US$2,000 to a local counseling center—Womankind—to be used to treat women who have experienced trauma.
To mark the start of Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, Zonta clubs across Brisbane and the South East of Queensland, Australia, joined together for a walk on 24 November.
In partnership with the Brisbane City Council, Brisbane was lit orange and a large banner, Zonta Says No to Violence, hung from one of Brisbane’s main bridges. The walk took the group past some of Brisbane’s city’s landmarks. Key city buildings and bridges along the river were lit orange to mark the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
The walk was attended by Zontians from numerous clubs, including the Zonta Clubs of Brisbane, Brisbane East, Brisbane South Inc and Brisbane Sunrise Inc, along with their partners, friends and members of Chrysalis Projects, who are working with arts organizations to raise the profile of domestic violence and to advocate for change by using creative channels such as opera and storytelling.
The walk marked the start of the #16DaysofActivism poster campaign, which encouraged people to have their say on women’s right to safety and justice and post to social media tagging #ZontaSaysNO.
On 25 November, the Zonta Club of Cebu II, Philippines, kicked off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Hundreds of women raised their hands to call attention to the plight of women and girls around the world. Supported by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City Chapter and the City of Mandaue through the advocacy, “Abay sa Kahayag (Guiding Light),” the event aims to extend a helping hand to victims of abuse and raise awareness about discrimination, gender inequality and women empowerment.
“We are all here to celebrate every woman on this planet especially now, during the pandemic when millions of women and girls are facing heightened insecurity and violence,” Zontian Atty. Regal Oliva enthusiastically said in her opening statement.
A staunch supporter of women and President of Zonta Club of Cebu II, Petite Garcia added, “The 16 days campaign to end violence against women and children marks its 30th year and is a call to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence and to galvanize women from all backgrounds, women, and girls who are tired of being demeaned, diminished, and dominated. Let us not ask any woman or child to settle for less or to wait any longer. For THIS is our time and the time is NOW.”
Resource speaker Attorney Mylen Gonzales-Esquivel from the Children’s Legal Bureau, led a very engaging discussion on “Dissecting the Girls Not Brides Bill” and expounded on the need to PUSH for its enactment. The Philippines has a number of child protection laws, and yet, according to UNICEF, the country has the 12th highest absolute number of child brides in the world. The 1987 constitution highlights the vital role of the youth in nation-building and despite this provision, and other statutory laws enacted, none specifically address the issue of early marriage.
The Philippines is a signatory to a number of international instruments that promote and protect the rights of children. “For us to push for gender equality and empower all women and girls, there is a need to push for the enactment of the Girls not Brides Act,” Atty. Esquivel said. The Girls not Brides Act defines child marriage as an informal union or cohabitation outside of wedlock between an adult and a child, or between children. It stipulates to abolish all traditional and harmful practices, affirms the human rights of children, and views child marriage as a practice constituting child abuse. Any human being under 18 years of age, or any person who is 18 and over, who is unable to care and protect oneself from abuse is protected by this bill.
Attorney Bernz Amago shared with a resolute voice: “Providing the legislative framework of prohibiting Child Marriage and declaring the same as illegal sends a clear message that the country does not condone these abhorrent practices that patently violate human rights.” If passed into law, the act will be titled, “An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage and Imposing Penalties for Violations Thereof.”
On 28 November, the Zonta Club of Cebu II hosted an advocacy Walk for Women to “Shatter the Silence and Stop the Abuse.” At the crack of dawn, an estimated 200 women and men from various non-government organizations, 50 members of the LGBTQ+ community, city officials of Mandaue City led by Councilor Cynthia Remedio, Chair of the Committee on Women and Family and Councilor Sol Cabahug joined 32 club members on the 3-km (1.8-mi) stretch of the Mandani Bay complex.
This impressive and enthusiastic show of unity and community calls for everyone to work together to say Enough is Enough and violence in all its forms and expressions must end.
Join us in saying NO 